Áras an Uachtaráin welcomed new HerStory curated exhibition Peace Heroines hosted by President Higgins

Áras an Uachtaráin was home to HerStory’s powerful Peace Heroines exhibit to reflect on 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement and to highlight 30 women who were extremely important in securing peace for Ireland. The 25th anniversary of the agreement will be marked on April 10 1998.

“In our hosting of the Peace Heroines exhibition, curated by HerStory, here at Áras an Uachtaráin, we acknowledge and pay tribute to what was an important and emancipatory contribution,” stated President Higgins during his address.

The exhibit is full of numerous celebrations of these women through art and curated pieces, such as nine large portraits by FRIZ, the artist. The portraits feature nine women, Bronagh Hinds, Pearl Sagar, Anne Carr, Eileen Weir, Susan McCrory, Monica McWilliams, Baroness May Blood, Saidie Patterson and Pat Hume, who also have their stories highlighted in the exhibit.

President Higgins today hosted a special display of the ‘Peace Heroines’ exhibition, curated by @HerstoryIreland, at Áras an Uachtaráin in honour of the essential contribution that women have made to the critically important task of peacebuilding on the island of Ireland pic.twitter.com/GasPYptukR

— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) March 29, 2023

“To create this body of work I started by learning about the women and their fantastic achievements and contributions to peace in Northern Ireland,” stated FRIZ when describing her creative process for the exhibition.

Susan McCrory, Anne Carr, Monica McWilliams and Bronagh Hinds were some of the 30 women featured in attendance for President Higgins’ event. Other women represented in the HerStory exhibition, Joanne Fitzpatrick, Áine Fryers, Liz O’Donnell and Kate Fearon, were also in attendance.

President Higgins presented the event with co-founder of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition Professor Monica McWilliams, one of the only two women featured in the All-Party talks discussing the future of Northern Ireland.

“[Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition] founders, drawn from both of the main opposing traditions, sought to work together, transcending the old tribal divides, and focussing instead on creating a common, agreed, shared future, united by the cause of bringing women’s concerns to the negotiating table, and ensuring an inclusive peace accord,” stated President Higgins.

The exhibit is currently touring the country as HerStory continues to share the important information and stories of these 30 women. Peace Heroines can be seen in Dublin at Leinster House from March 30 to April 14.

President Higgins concluded, “Let us celebrate then the great contribution that women have made…helping to end all forms of discrimination and inequality on an island at peace.”